Family Dream
by CrazyLikeArt
Summary: Naruto is a ninja. But at the end of the day he's also a lonely child. Kakashi is a ninja. But he's also a sensei who wants to help his students.
1. Family Dream

Inspired by LordRaine-

-o-o-

Family Dream

-o-o-

"Good work team, you have the rest of the day off." Kakashi said with an eye-smile.

Team seven had been formed only a month ago and despite his reservations the kids seemed to start understanding how to collaborate on the D-ranked mission he had them doing daily.

Sure, Naruto complained about those mission were just chores, Sasuke scowled ninety percent of the time, and Sakura would rather die then go a full day without asking the Uchiha out, but all in all they were beginning to relay on each other.

However, there was something that worried the Copy-nin.

In the past week Naruto's complaints had lessened, when he called the day off and dismissed them he didn't shout how he wasn't tired and could keep going, he had stopped inviting his two teammates to hang out and asking Sakura out.

Kakashi knew that the boy wasn't doing this to distance himself, it was painfully obvious for him that the blond really like spending time with them, probably because it was the first time he could say to have friends, or just people who didn't look at him coldly and with barely conceited disdain.

But.

But the young jinchuuriki seemed strangely eager to go back home lately. This behaviour left the jounin perplexed, after all he had heard from Iruka that he hated staying at home.

Kakashi could understand that, he himself couldn't stand the thought of spending more then five minutes in his home when he was a kid, after his father took his life. The house was just too big, too silent, and the ghost of his father had hunted him in his nightmares.

It had taken a long time Minato's and finally Obito's help for him to accept the past, but he still hated having to spend time at his home alone. He'd rather staying in the hospital where at least the medics checked on him regularly, and that was saying something.

Sasuke had a similar problem, he knew the dark haired youth hadn't lived in his old house since that tragic night in which he lost all his family, opting to move in a building at the outskirts of the Uchiha clan's properties. And he went back there only when he absolutely needed to, training in the forest or walking through the village the remainder time.

And yet, as soon as he had dismissed his team, Naruto said his goodbyes and sped towards the village.

Kakashi was worried, he had tried to ask but the blond had shrugged off his questions. So he decided that in order to know what was wrong with his student and help him he'd go the ninja way.

The one eyed jounin waved at Sakura and Sasuke and disappeared in a shunshin, only to materialize on the roof of a building that Naruto had just passed. Then with stealth that came naturally to him after many years of missions, he followed him.

-o-o-

Naruto ran down the road in the direction of his apartment. Along the way he saw men, women, shopkeepers and ninja on the street, all people who had always been too busy ignoring him to notice a blond kid in bright orange clothes crying and screaming for attention with despair in his heart.

But today he was the one ignoring them.

Turning another corner his apartment building came into view and a small smile formed on his lips. He didn't slow down, on the contrary, he ran faster down the street, into the building, up flights of stairs until he found himself in front of his door.

He paused to catch his breath, then made a handseal and murmured the name of his favourite and most powerful jutsu, following with another handseal for the best of his academy skill.

He took out his keys and opened the door.

"I'm home."

"Welcome back dear, how was your day?" A feminine voice answered from the kitchen where she was heating up some ramen.

The woman, who smiled at Naruto kindly while greeting him, had long brown hair and clear blue eyes the exact same shade and shape of his own. She was wearing blue robes with a orange apron on top of them.

Naruto went and hugged her while the woman hugged him back and kissed the top of his head.

"It was good, Kakashi-sensei made us do another stupid chore passing it off for a mission, though."

"Really?" A new voice asked, "That's such a waste of your talent!"

The person who spoke appeared to be a man with spiky blond hair and brown eyes, who was wearing the standard jounin attire. He made his way towards Naruto and the woman and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Yeah, I was saying the same thing to Kakashi-sensei, but he keeps on saying we need to practice more teamwork and that we've just graduated so we have to do those stupid missions."

"Don't worry son, I'm sure you'll receive an important mission soon, and then you'll become our hokage in a heartbeat." The woman said with another smile at him while the blond man squeezed the boy's shoulder lightly to show his support.

They were shaken out of their conversation by a loud shout from the door that lead in the other room.

"Hey, otoutou is home? Why didn't you tell me? Granny, Naruto's home!"

The brown haired woman went back into the kitchen as a girl around fifteen years of age with blue eyes and blond hair tied in two ponytails came to hug Naruto, followed by a old woman who walked with a cane and had white hair who patted the boy on his head.

"So how's it going with that girl on your team?" the old woman asked.

"Ah-ha, my otoutou has a crush, he has a crush! Isn't he cute?"

"Aww, shut up Onee-chan" Naruto whined, though there was a smile of pure happiness on his face.

The girl stuck out her tongue at him and laughed before taking him by the hand and dragging him to help set the table for dinner. While the two sibling were doing that they could hear their mother humming from the kitchen while their father and grandmother were providing a background of idle talk.

Three minutes later they all sat down as the blue eyed woman brought ramen for all of them. While they ate together, they were asking Naruto about his day and the boy eagerly told them about his mission, Kakashi-sensei, his rival Sasuke, his Sakura-chan, his training, everything.

During the entire meal Naruto displayed his usual enthusiasm for his favourite food, but instead of suggesting him about eating something more healthy or reprimanding him for his poor manners, his father joked lightly about the fact that he and his sister were eating his part too, but their mother shut him up saying they were growing and needed it. Their granny winked at them too.

After the meal they all cleared the table together, Naruto was putting away the dishes that his sister dried with a towel after their mother washed them. Meanwhile their father was cleaning the kitchen and their granny watched them work.

The rest of the evening was spent on table games, shogi, mahjong, playing cards, everyone played something until it came time to go to sleep.

Naruto and his sister said goodnight to their granny first, then went to their room, Naruto taking the bed while his elder sibling took a futon beside him. Their parents came soon after, their father watching them from the doorstep while their mother sat down on naruto's bed and hummed a song gently for a while waiting for the two to fall asleep.

The young jinchuuriki closed his eyes with a smile on his face, and fall asleep with a strange, almost foreign sense of fullness and belonging. Soon after his family disappeared with a poof of smoke.

-o-o-

Kakashi couldn't sleep that night.

He had seen the despair as Naruto ran home like a man drowning that swum in search of air.

He had seen the happiness while he talked with his 'family'.

His smiles.

The first true smiles he had seen from Naruto, and they were the result of a lie the boy was telling himself. How desperate really was that blond urchin to resort to a couple of jutsu just to experience affection?

Kakashi revised his thoughts. Naruto wasn't a drowning man in search of air, he was a child who had a dream and didn't want to wake up to see how much worse and cruel the world really was compared to that dream.


	2. A sensei's duty

A sensei's duty

-o-o-

Hatake Kakashi was born in a time of peace. His father, Hatake Sakumo, had just raised to the rank of jounin a week before, while his mother, Hatake Miho, had retired from her duties as tokebetsu jonin the moment she realized to be pregnant.

In addition to the jounin rank, Sakumo was starting to get famous in and out of Konoha as a really gifted ninja, his strength earning him the respect of his companions and the fear of his enemies. Because of this, he was also asked to perform a lot of difficult missions, the majority of which ended up being long-term and far away from home.

Despite his father's frequent absences little Kakashi was an happy child, nurtured by his loving mother, he showed a brilliant mind and an uncanny ability to learn from a tender age. He was, however, still but a little child, and his father, loving husband that he was, rarely found the time he should have for his family.

It was a dreadful fatality that no one realized how Miho -sweet, caring wife and mother Miho- was slowly descending into the dark hollow void of depression. The childbirth, her husband's absence, not seeing her ex-colleagues, a myriad of little things were piling upon her soul, tearing it to pieces.

Then tragedy struck.

Kakashi was two years old, a month away from being three, speaking better than others twice his age and running around with a speed that'd make any ninja proud to be his parent.

He and Miho were on their way back from the park, where the little Hatake heir had asked his mother about any and all plants he could find. She answered all his questions with her usual smile, one Kakashi was too young and naive to recognize for the tired, sad, forced, and fake it was.

The silver-haired child run up ahead, deaf to his mother's calls to slow down, uncaring of the stay-where-I-can-see-you rule like most children are wont to do. He was passing an old, crumbling building when, with a sudden burst, huge chunks of rubble started to fall.

Three days after that, Sakumo would return to the village and be informed of his wife's death before he picked up his son from the hospital. Neither he, nor any of the medics would ever tell Kakashi just how easily it would have been for Miho to avoid the rubble after pushing him out of harm's way.

In the following years, even after her face and voice slowly faded away from Kakashi's memory, it'd remain firmly rooted in his mind that if he had obeyed then his mother wouldn't have died. It was at that time that he began to wear a cloth to mask the lower half of his face.

A year later, at four, he entered the ninja academy.

Helped in his studies by his father, who people had begun to refer as "The White Fang", Kakashi dedicated all of himself into becoming a good ninja. Natural genius, single-minded focus that bordered on obsession, and a legend's tutelage allowed him to graduate in a year.

Just in time for the end of the peace he was born in.

Sakumo used all his power and political sway to keep him away from the most dangerous missions at the borders, using his tender age as a reason to have him in the reserves. Only occasionally Kakashi joined a team to do some missions, most of which remained relatively risk-free.

Nonetheless, unforeseen events happen all the time, especially in the ninja profession. And so, on a mission that went south, Kakashi managed to show his proneness and skills, making such an impression on his commander that he was promoted to chuunin upon returning to Konoha.

That afternoon he run home with a smile on his face, certain that his father would have been so proud of him, thinking that the news would have made him forget about the jerks who were shunning and blaming him for choosing to save his comrades over completing a mission.

Sliding open the door to his father's study, Kakashi's smile was wiped awayfrom his face and wouldn't return for many years.

In his young mind, when he broke a rule his mother had died. In his young mind, when his father went against orders he was forced to take his own life in shame. His young mind broke that day, and the world turned gray.

-o-o-

Kakashi was almost catatonic when two hands gently but firmly pulled him away from the threshold were he was standing. He didn't know, but he had been there for two whole days when those two arms embraced and lifted him.

The child let himself be carried away as his head rested on the stranger's shoulder while he jumped on the rooftops toward the hospital. The only thought going through the young chuunin was that he couldn't understand why this stranger's bright yellow hair weren't gray like the rest of the world.

-o-o-

Five days after getting into the hospital, a week after The White Fang's death, two and half years after Hatake Miho's death, the six year old chuunin Kakashi regained his lucidity and was discharged from the hospital.

What followed was a blur. Mission, training, mission, training, mission, training, everything merged together and time became meaningless. Kakashi lost four years of his life in his effort to become the perfect ninja. It was a period of his life he could never truly remember.

It ended when he met him again. Those blond hairs, bright like the sun, almost hurt his eyes, unused to such a loud color. The little, almost cautious smile, was still much more cheerful than anything Kakashi remember to have ever seen.

The stranger was a jounin, and a very respected one as well. Namikaze Minato, student of the famous Jiraiya. Kakashi was to be his apprentice until he became jounin, but if he didn't get the rank by the time he was twelve he'd became part of Minato's three-man team of students.

At the time the young Hatake interpreted it like a threat. At the time he also hated Minato with a passion because the blond was too friendly, too helpful, too present. Ha hated him because no matter what he was always there, he didn't let him shut down his brain and close himself from the world, he didn't let him be the Perfect Ninja, emotionless and efficient like a well oiled machine.

For two years Minato did everything he could to make Kakashi more human, and while the silver haired youth was no more eying his father's blade -the very same Sakumo took his life with- with the same soulless and speculating eyes as before, he still had his obsession on regulations.

But then open war had started once again.

Rin and Obito's addition to their team seemed like a setback to the young Hatake at first, but Rin's gentle nature, Obito's annoying one, and ultimately the Uchiha's extreme sacrifice opened a breach.

He talked with his sensei and finally understood. It wasn't his fault his mother died but her own sorrow killed her. It wasn't breaking the rules that forced his father to kill himself, but his comrades' ungratefulness and his own inability to believe with all his heart that his choice was the right one. It wasn't following blindly the rules and becoming an unfeeling killing machine that made a great ninja, but finding a balance between what must be done and what is right.

He cried in his sensei's arms, idly realizing it was the first time he did. When his parents died, shock had prevented him to let his tears flow in both cases.

-o-o-

Kakashi opened his eye and looked at the memorial stone.

Thinking about his life now he realized just how much Minato-sensei had done for him. When he came under his wing at ten, his psychological condition was... he should have been expelled from the ninja program.

Those dark four years in between his father's death and Minato's tutelage he hadn't had a stable place in any team, nor a lasting commander. But once the blond became his sensei all his issues, all his disturbs must have been clear as day to him.

His duty was to report his condition to the Sandaime Hokage and have him removed from the ninja forces.

Yet he didn't.

Minato decided to try his hardest to help him, heal him, and guide hm toward a path that would make him become a good ninja, but more importantly, a good man. Minato had risked his own career for him, because that's what a sensei was meant to do for his students in his eyes.

Kakashi thought about Naruto. His duty as a Konoha ninja said he had to report his behavior and have him checked for his mental health. That were the rules.

Turning, the silver-haired jounin took out his infamous book with a smile.

With some luck he should have enough money to treat his student to some ramen.


	3. Binding with Noodles

**Binding with Noodles**

-o-o-

Naruto wasn't particularly fond of the missions his team was assigned. Of course, he remembered the old man's rant -the same thing from Iruka would have been called 'lecture', but the old man being, in fact, an old man, ranted- about the importance of D ranked missions, but Naruto was convinced that he should be doing some much cooler ninja stuff.

He was ready, he had proved it well enough during the only higher profile mission his team had gone on. They had done a great work in Wave, both Kakashi-sensei and the Hokage agreed on it. But instead of getting other exciting tasks they were sent back to do these chores.

Despite all that, however, the blond couldn't deny he kind of didn't mind too much the one team 7 was doing today.

Sure, walking dogs was _not_ what he expected to do once he graduated, but these animals weren't cold to him. They treated him like any other human being, and the brown little pup he was currently watching over had even licked his face earlier. Naruto guessed he could overlook that he was supposed to go kick asses and being generally awesome for his new furry friend.

He also idly wondered how would it be to have a pet.

When they were done and had to bring the dogs back he was almost sad. Another day with his team was coming to an end and soon he'd have to go back home. The thought didn't make him want to curl up and cry or latch onto his teammates and never let go like it used to, though. It hadn't done that for some time now.

Naruto, for all his naivety and ignorance, still knew that what he was doing was something really messed up. He was painfully aware that once he'll be back to his apartment he'll lie to himself putting up his little play. It was pathetic but he couldn't give it up.

There was, however, an instinctual understanding of what he could do to heal himself and stop that madness, even if he didn't consciously recognize his tries to spend time with real people for that. The fact he was more often than not denied that chance also didn't help and he was starting to slowly close in on himself.

He hadn't shut down completely yet, though, which is why, as soon as Kakashi formally released them from duty for the day, he turned with a smile plasted on his face toward his Sakura-chan.

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, let's go eat ramen together, what about it?"

Sasuke was implicitly invited too, but Naruto didn't ask him directly because he didn't want to hear the insults that were likely to come, and he was sure Sakura would drag him too anyway. And if she didn't, well, than it'd be a date with her! It was a win-win situation, really.

"No!"

Blunt and to the point without the slightest hesitation, the pink-haired girl didn't even care to elaborate or adding an excuse before running after the already leaving Uchiha. She didn't even see Naruto's saddened expression.

The blond genin looked at the ground while planning to go and grab one bowl before going home, where someone _will_ listen and _will_ care about him for a change.

He took a step before an hand fell heavily on his left shoulder. Kakashi was standing there, behind him, even if the boy could have sworn his sensei had left in a puff of smoke like he always did after dismissing them. Naruto blinked at him, confused as to why the jounin had stopped him.

"You used to ask more times than just one, Naruto. And you used to ask Sasuke too."

The tone wasn't accusing, worried, judging or anything else. It was a simple statement of a fact.

Naruto shrugged. He hadn't really noticed how melancholic he was becoming, nor could he explain why Kakashi delaying him was making him upset. He just wanted to go home.

"The answer wasn't going to change anyway, at least not today. I can still try tomorrow."

A sensible answer, Kakashi had to admit as much. The problem was that he knew it wasn't born from his student's maturity, but rather by his growing desire to be alone with his family. It was a clear example of the steps one goes through when developing an addiction.

Not under Hatake Kakashi's watch.

"Mh-hm" Kakashi nodded as if to agree with him, "And what about your wonderful sensei? He is part of the team, is he not?"

Naruto blinked.

Kakashi waited.

The boy's mouth opened, remained like that for a couple of seconds, then closed.

Kakashi tilted his head and tried to ban the stupid thought that this was karma's punishment for always making others wait. It was a serious moment! The jounin made a mental note to work on Naruto's mental agility and have him do some exercises to help him thinking faster outside of combat situations too.

Finally his blond student grinned at him happily.

"Sure Kakashi-sensei! Let's go, to the ramen stand!"

Behind his cloth mask Kakashi smiled at the positive response he was getting, it seemed he was in time to keep Naruto from seeking isolation to live in his own world.

"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei?"

The copy-nin looked down at the boy pulling on his sleeve as if he wanted to sound a bell. He had half a mind to say "Dong. Dong." to see if Naruto would catch the joke and how he'd respond, but decided to act like a dignified ninja for a change.

"What is it?"

"What's your favorite type of ramen? I especially like miso, pork, and shrimp. Oh, and chicken. Ayame-chan keeps telling me I should eat the vegetable one more, but it isn't as tasty."

While his student continued his review of all the ramen known to man -and a couple previously unknown, born from a younger Naruto's experiments- Kakashi listened with a cheerful expression keeping to himself the fact he preferred tsukemen to ramen. He had the nagging feeling his cute little student would bite him otherwise. Or attack him. Or trying to change his mind.

"Hey, there it is, Ichiraku Ramen! Come on, sensei, I'm hungry!"

Kakashi blinked as two Naruto were pulling his arms while a third was pushing him from the back. When did the little urchin make those kage bunshin?

_'I have to stop spacing out. Still, it's impressive how Naruto has completely mastered this jutsu.'_

As they reached the ramen stand, both teacher and student hurried to take their seats and the two extra blonds poofed out of existence. Kakashi had rushed to a stool not because he was overly eager to eat like Naruto, but because the genin's copies seemed ready to lift him onto one if he didn't.

"Ayameee-chaaaaan, one extra large miso ramen with extra pork for me! What are you going to take Kakashi-sensei?"

"Naruto, I'm less than a foot from you, there's no need to be so loud. It's like someone stabbed my ear with a zanbatō." The silver-haired jounin said jokingly while ruffling his student's hair in a somewhat forceful way with his left hand while the right was holding the menu.

The orange clad genin ducked away indignantly and tried to... comb his hair back to the spiky mess they usually are, which didn't make much sense but was just adorable. Kakashi didn't tease him about that, though. Ayame's giggles were more than enough to make the young boy blush and pout anyway.

Speaking of the waitress, her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked at Kakashi for his order, and Naruto suddenly remembered something. Ayame had seen Kakashi's face! It was that time team 7 had had offered him lunch in a ploy to unveil the secret of "what's under Kakashi-sensei's mask" but then Ino Shikamaru and Chouji had distracted them just as the jounin ate...

But Ayame knew! She had seen it!

He'd just have to ask her when Kakashi wasn't paying attention and he would know too!

...But what was Kakashi-sensei doing? He was leaning over the counter and whispering something to Ayame... Oh no, he must have predicted Naruto's thoughts and was asking her not to tell him!

As Naruto despaired over the missed chance, Kakashi turned and eye-smiled at him. Luckily his student had been distracted planning god knows what while he talked to the brunette girl about how great it'd be if they could serve tsukemen too...

Better to start a conversation about something else before he got suspicious, though.

"So, anyway, I was thinking about giving you some materials to help you with tactical knowledge, strategy, and other mental aspects of being shinobi. In other words, something you can work on without me having to make sure you're not destroying anything or hurting yourself."

The blond turned a bit defensive at the comment.

"Hey, I don't do that! And what do you mean strategy and mental things? You know, I'm not stupid! And don't you remember when we met Zabuza the first time? I got a really good plan then, I'm good with plans too!"

Kakashi raised his hands in a calming gesture as he turned to answer.

"Of course I remember, and you're right, that was really good thinking on your part. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

He lowered his hands and bowed his head slightly when he said the last sentence in a gesture that conveyed his thanks for having saved him. He would have voiced that, but he had never been really good with words, and just saying 'thank you' seemed stupid.

His student was perceptive enough to get the message behind his gesture, though, as he smiled widely and blushed lightly while scratching the back of his head. It was the same as when he praised him for his improvements.

"But the brain is just like a muscle," Kakashi continued, "you have to keep practicing, otherwise it'll just turn to mush."

There was also the fact that if he had some homework to do he'll be more likely to not use his kage bunshin to pretend to have a family like he did, but it wasn't time to tell him he knew of that yet. If Kakashi managed to help him like he planned then he'd never have to admit he know about that as Naruto would quit it on his own.

"But I don't like to read! It's sooo boring."

Kakashi assigned himself a golden star-shaped awesome point for being able to predict the most unpredictable ninja.

"Ma, ma, I didn't say I'd give you book, did I?"

With those words Kakashi took out a little bag and handed it to his student. Naruto took it, and opened it looking inside curiously. He then took out one of the numerous little objects that were inside.

"Ne, what are these, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Those, are mahjong tiles. There's also a little guide inside, with the rules for how to play solitaire mahjong."

The masked jounin smiled at his student who was squinting and observing the tiles as if they were some mysterious and arcane artifacts.

"Here's your orders, large miso with extra pork for Naruto, and shrimp for Hatake-san. Enjoy your meals."

-o-o-

It was only some hours later when Naruto went back to his apartment.

He went inside and sat down at his kitchen table where he emptied the bag with the tiles Kakashi had given him. The boy proceeded to look at all the tiles and then at the guide -solitaire mahjong for dummies- he was given.

After a couple of minutes, his head jerked up and he looked around the empty room. His hands twitched and a second later he did a basic ram seal and three kage bunshin appeared and transformed right away.

An old woman was sitting on the couch polishing some shuriken, while a younger girl in her middle teens -who looked really similar to one most male leaf ninja had previously seen naked and surrounded by strategically placed puffs of smoke- was lying on her stomach on the floor, reading the mahjong guide.

The third and final extra person was another woman. She had long brown hair, clear blue eyes and was sitting on a chair beside Naruto, smiling affectionately at him.

"I ate with Kakashi-sensei today. He made me pay because he said _I_ invited _him_, but it was cool, 'cause he said he's gonna pay _next time_. And then he gave me these, and we talked and-"

As the young genin kept talking he became more and more excited and his expression turned happier with every word.

His "sister" and "granny" remained in the background, not really interacting, but more as if they were simply there to fill a space that would otherwise be empty and lifeless.

Kakashi, from his position on the roof of the adjacent building, was observing the scene through Naruto's window. He felt that he was making progresses already, there wasn't the same desperate attachment to the illusory family Naruto displayed the last time. His "father" wasn't even there and the only one the blond was really interacting with was the mother.

The jounin couldn't help but shiver as he watched her closely.

The resemblance was just unreal.

If he didn't know any better he'd swear that he was looking at Kushina Uzumaki. Granted, the eye and hair color were wrong, but that henged clone had the same face, the same body proportions, even the same motherly expression the deceased kunoichi had when she entered her pregnancy -before that she rarely displayed such affectionate and calm look-.

Compared to how different Naruto's "father-clone" looked from the truth, then, Kakashi didn't know what to think. Obviously it was lucky that Naruto didn't guess right when it came to his father's looks as _that_ would cause a mess he couldn't hope to fix.

But how close his little charge had come to recreate a perfect copy of his mother really left him wondering. Maybe it was true that children instinctively knew their parents and people's true nature. He had always thought that was simply garbage fitting only in fairy tales, and yet he couldn't deny what was in front of him.

With a shake of his head, Kakashi turned and jumped on another roof. All it mattered was to help his student and show him he wasn't as alone as he thought, but that would have to wait till tomorrow when his team would meet again.

For now Kakashi felt like going back to see Miho. It was some years since he last visited his mother's grave. Her name wasn't on the memorial stone, neither was his father's, and it was since morning that he was thinking of passing by to say hi.


	4. Family Loss

**Family Loss**

-o-o-

Sasuke walked down the street as it started to light up with the first rays of sunlight. He was determined on going to his team meetings on time despite knowing Hatake won't deign to arrive for a good two hours, maybe three.

The Uchiha was the first one to get there, followed shortly by Sakura who didn't loose the chance to start making inane questions such as if he slept well. Naruto joined them some minutes later and far too loudly. Thankfully Haruno made him shut up quickly.

The blond, however, was far too stupid to simply lay down, and since he had already been hit by the girl, he turned to him.

"Hey teme, since Kakashi-sensei is gonna be late anyway let's spar!"

Sasuke snorted and looked the other way. There was no reason to fight with a clumsy dead last, it wouldn't even serve as a good test of his abilities. Sparring with Naruto would be more like kicking a puppy than training.

Sure, the blond had showed a surprising improvement since when they were in the academy, but he was far from a worthy opponent. He relied too much on luck for that.

"Why do you have to be such an ass about it?" A female cry of protest raised at the insult, but went ignored.

"Man, I hope Kakashi-sensei gets here soon. He has to pay me back for yesterday's lunch."

Sasuke glanced at his blond teammate at that, but it was Haruno who asked what he meant.

It turned out that after he had left, Kakashi had taken pity on the idiot and went with him to eat ramen. It was somewhat baffling, why should their sensei choose to spend extra time with a moron like Naruto?

He could have followed Sakura, after all she was kind of smart and the type of student a teacher could enjoy talking with about some theory or other. He could have joined him, Sasuke, who was honestly the one the jounin could probably relate with more.

Both of them, after all were prodigies, both had the sharingan, and he'd certainly be better company than a retard who babbled nonstop about his impossible dream.

No, Sasuke really couldn't understand why Kakashi-sensei would choose to spend his free time with such an idiot who didn't know when to quit.

Not that he minded, Sasuke couldn't care less what all of them did in their free time. As long as they didn't slow him down during missions, Naruto could go choke himself with noodles and drag whomever he wanted with him.

That stupid, cheerful, stubborn fool, who tried and tried and tried and never gave up. The blond was always pushing himself, hoping to prove his worth and gain the village's approval.

Sasuke hated him, hated Naruto because he saw himself in him.

Both of them were unlike the other children in the academy who played ninja and acted like little kids. No, he and Naruto had spent their days pouring all their soul into ninja training, with a determination born from from a desperate desire to be seen. Recognized. Acknowledged.

But for Sasuke it was all for nothing.

The moment his father, the head of the great Uchiha clan, recognized his worth was just that. A moment. Not nearly enough to repay all his sacrifices, all his work.

On that fateful night, when a six year old Sasuke came home to a dead family, his first thought had been that. Not now. Not when father finally saw me. Why now? Why?

Then there was shock. Denial. Fear.

His mother, the most beautiful, caring, loving person in the whole word lay dead. His aunt and uncle that always had words of encouragement. Cousins he knew only by name. Some he didn't. Dead, everyone was dead.

And Itachi, his praised brother, his hero, had done it all. And left Sasuke behind. Alone.

The blood of his relatives smeared on the walls, the blood of his father, -father who had just acknowledged him, why, why did he have to die now?- of his mother, -just yesterday she was smiling kindly at him like always- of all his clan.

Was it really his clan? Why was he alive then? Why wasn't he dead like them? Wasn't he part of the family too?

Right then and there Sasuke would have accepted death, welcomed it, because it would have reunited him with his family, it would have been the proof he, too, was an Uchiha. But he didn't die, he was left behind, alive and alone.

What Sasuke never, ever admitted, even to himself, was that he would have even accepted the massacre if only Itachi had taken him away with him. He'd have learned to forgive and love his brother again because, even if he wouldn't know why his whole clan was slaughtered, he'd have known his brother loved him. That would have been enough.

Between his whole clan and Itachi the love he had for his nii-san had been greater, he'd have shed a tear for his parents, remember guiltily how kind his aunt and uncle were to him, but if his brother said it was necessary, if his brother had taken him away and told him he really loved him, he'd have accepted it.

But he couldn't forgive, he couldn't forget loosing his family and being abandoned, betrayed like that.

Sasuke wasn't taken away by Itachi, he was lied to for all his life. His affectionate kind brother had been a lie. He had never cared, it was just an act. A lie. And he was worthless, totally worthless, not even worth the kill.

Itachi had said as much before leaving.

Why, why then was that stupid moronic idiot of a dead-last trying so hard? It was useless. He'll never achieve anything, just like Sasuke hadn't.

Yes, Sasuke hated Naruto, but not only him.

He hated Sakura, who was an ignorant naïve child in his eyes, and he couldn't stand how happy and normal she was, how her life was so good compared to his own.

Kakashi, his sensei, who had managed to put behind him whatever tragedy happened in his life -and something must have happened, he could tell from the way he had told them of his best friend's name being on the memorial- and aside from the chronic tardiness, the jounin moved on with a smile. So far, Sasuke hadn't managed to do the same.

Why was Sakura so much luckier? Why did Kakashi manage to move on? Why should Naruto's effort have different results from his own?

Why couldn't he have any of that?

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked up.

It didn't matter, none of that mattered. All it did was to gain more power, to become stronger, stronger enough to kill Itachi.

It had been almost seven years since that night, every single day spent to get ready for the chance to avange his clan. When the time came -and it _will_-, Sasuke would be ready to kill him. Sasuke just had to wait for that.

He waited.

Kakashi was late again.

-o-o-


End file.
